1950 Princeton Tigers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1950 Princeton Tigers football team represented Princeton University
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) intercollegiate competition
during the 1950 season
. The Tigers were led by sixth-year head coach Charlie Caldwell
, a future College Football Hall of Fame
inductee, who utilized an "unbalanced" version of the single-wing formation. The Princeton offense, which made use of the buck-lateral series, was one of the last successful employers of the single-wing formation, which had been made obsolete by the modernized T formation.
Princeton finished with a perfect undefeated record of 9–0, and the Tigers outscored their opponents 349–94. Against other Ivy League
teams, Princeton compiled a 5–0 record and outscored their opponents 184–45, although the conference did not begin awarding a football championship until 1956.
Some selectors named Princeton the national champions, most notably the NCAA-recognized Poling System
and Boand System
. Princeton was the sixth-ranked team in both the Associated Press
and United Press final polls. After the season, Tigers halfback Dick Kazmaier
, tackle Holland Donan, and center Redmond Finney received first-team All-America
honors. Kazmaier and Donan were eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) intercollegiate competition
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
during the 1950 season
1950 college football season
The 1950 college football season finished with the unbeaten and untied Oklahoma Sooners being the overwhelming choice for national champion. On New Year’s Day, the 9-0-0 Sooners were upset by the 10-1-0 Kentucky Wildcats in the Sugar Bowl. The #2 team, the United States Military Academy had been...
. The Tigers were led by sixth-year head coach Charlie Caldwell
Charlie Caldwell
Charles William Caldwell was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Williams College for 15 seasons between 1928 and 1944 and at Princeton University from 1945 to 1956, compiling a career college football record of...
, a future College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee, who utilized an "unbalanced" version of the single-wing formation. The Princeton offense, which made use of the buck-lateral series, was one of the last successful employers of the single-wing formation, which had been made obsolete by the modernized T formation.
Princeton finished with a perfect undefeated record of 9–0, and the Tigers outscored their opponents 349–94. Against other Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
teams, Princeton compiled a 5–0 record and outscored their opponents 184–45, although the conference did not begin awarding a football championship until 1956.
Some selectors named Princeton the national champions, most notably the NCAA-recognized Poling System
Poling System
The Poling System was a mathematical rating system used to select college football national championship teams from 1924 to 1984. While there was no official method for naming a national championship in the sport during the system's existence, it is considered to have been a "National Champion...
and Boand System
Boand System
The Boand System was a system for determining the college football national championship. It was also known as the Azzi Ratem system. The system was developed by developed by William Boand. The rankings were based on mathematical formula...
. Princeton was the sixth-ranked team in both the Associated Press
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and United Press final polls. After the season, Tigers halfback Dick Kazmaier
Dick Kazmaier
Richard Kazmaier was an American football player for Princeton University from 1949 through 1951 and winner of the 1951 Heisman Trophy. As a halfback, kicker and quarterback, he ended his career third all time in Princeton history with over 4000 yards of offense and 55 touchdowns...
, tackle Holland Donan, and center Redmond Finney received first-team All-America
1950 College Football All-America Team
The 1950 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1950 college football season...
honors. Kazmaier and Donan were eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.